A three-year-old boy who suffered serious injuries in a zoo's crocodile enclosure has been released from hospital and is now settling back into family life, his family said.
The youngster arrived home "a few weeks ago" and is "happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother", his parents said in an update shared online.
Incident and arrest
Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, stated in an earlier social media post that it was "alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into one of our crocodile enclosures" on 18 June.
A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the incident and was subsequently released on bail after police confirmed he was "assessed as not being fit for interview".
The suspect in the matter is understood to have learning difficulties and had been on an outing with carers, with an investigation now launched into his care.
Family update and fundraising
In an update published on a GoFundMe page on Monday, the boy's family stated it was "nice to have us all back together in the comfort of our own home".
The crowdfunding page was established to provide financial support to the family and assist with the youngster's recovery and rehabilitation. It has generated more than £113,000 so far.
"Now that we are home, our son's rehabilitation journey continues and we can focus on ensuring our son has the best possible chance at recovery," his parents said in an update posted on GoFundMe. "Both of us will continue to stay by our son's side as we support him on his rehabilitation journey.
"We attend the hospital frequently to find out the next steps and we work on them together as a family.
"All of his immediate surgeries are over with for now, which means we can now focus on rehabilitation at home."
The couple revealed that the funds raised to date "has supported us financially to cover immediate costs such as our bills and mortgage", and "also allowed us to cover our loss of wages during this time".
Donations and gratitude
The family revealed they have purchased and donated fresh toys to the paediatric intensive care unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, as well as to the children's play team on the ward.
The youngster was "very fond of the play team" and "they helped him be a little three-year-old boy by inventing new games and teaching him new ways to use his feet in play", his parents explained.
The couple also disclosed they had made a donation to the Sick Children's Trust charity, which provides vital assistance to families whose children are long-term patients or being treated in the paediatric intensive care unit.
They additionally expressed a wish to contribute to the Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT) in recognition of the staff involved in their son's treatment, "including the supply of superhero costumes to brighten up his day".
The family extended their gratitude to all those who have "shown such kindness and generosity during what has been a considerable ordeal for us all".
In an earlier update, the family confirmed that the boy had undergone seven operations. The fundraising appeal is available at gofundme.com/f/helping-the-family-of-3yr-old-injured-in-crocodile-enclosure.
